Through The Dark
by redribbonfox
Summary: She was just another means to an end, his tool to use however he needed. He pulled her through hell and back but in the end, he was all she had left.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Marvel Universe, including Thor, the Avengers, or any character involved. Samantha Madison is mine though.

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AN- Hi! Thank you for choosing to read my story. I love reading Loki/Oc stories so I decided to write a bit of my own. This takes place after Thor: The Dark World. Please leave me feedback to know how I can improve or if you like the direction it is headed. Thanks!

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Chapter 1

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Samantha Madison grunted as she struggled with the groceries in her arms. The paper bag filled with her canned goods was slipping through her tightly curled fingers and she cursed the teenaged bag-boy for filling it too full. She bit her lip as she slid the key into the lock, twisting it with a sigh of relief. As the door knob turned, the bag's bottom gave way and a rain of cans poured out and rolled down the iron stairs with echoing thuds. It figures. She decided to just come back for them. Stepping quickly through her tiny, studio apartment, she deposited the heavy bags onto the cluttered counters.

Her kitchen was tiny, just a fridge, oven and sink shoved into the corner of her upstairs flat. There was no room for a table, but she found the pull down ironing board beside the cabinet to be a perfect spot for breakfast in the mornings. Her dishes were piled in the sink and she swore under her breath, promising herself she would finally get around to conquering them tonight.

Throwing her keys on the coffee table, Sam pulled the thick, purple scarf from around her neck and tossed it across the back of her thrift-store couch before heading back out into the crisp, October air to search the ground for her cans. She tip-toed down the iron stairs, hoping she hadn't woken her landlord who lived on the bottom floor. He was a prompt old man who closed his antique shop she lived above at exactly 5 every night. He was in bed exactly an hour later as well.

She usually kept herself quiet, knowing where to walk on her old floors as to not disturb him. She had been living there since last year when the book shop she had struggled to build from the ground up had been destroyed in the battle in New York. She had been a week away from getting the building insured and had been open for only two weeks. Everything she had dreamt of since a little girl was gone. Devastated, Sam had picked up her life and moved to a sleepy coastal town in Virginia and had met Mr. Anton miraculously by chance. She moved in a week later and was always late on her rent but she always managed to make up for it by helping the withered old shopkeeper with his tasks.

They had a nice relationship, though they didn't talk often. She didn't disturb him, and he didn't demand money to her every time he saw her. Still, it upset her that she might have woken him up. He had become like a friendly uncle, or distant grandfather figure to her, and she knew he wouldn't appreciate her stomping around this late. Buttoning her peacoat around her waist, Samantha stooped to collect the cans. She gathered the cream corn, mixed fruit, and the peas that had tumbled under the bushes. She was still missing her chili. Frowning, the girl knelt down to look under the stairs as a sound met her ears like a thin piece of glass shattering. Samantha stood and peered around the corner of the shop to the front door. Three men, the size of NFL linebackers, stood with hooded robes pulled over their heads. She sucked in a breath and watched as they pushed their way into the shop, their feet crunched the broken glass into the sidewalk.

She quickly patted the pockets of her jeans, cursing as she remembered dropping her cell phone onto the counter upstairs. She couldn't risk being heard stomping up the stairs to get it. By that time, they could have hurt her landlord. Pursing her lips, she stuck close to the store front and watched from behind as they pulled shelves down to the floor and searched every booth for valuables. "Find the stones," One of the brute's said in a gravelly voice that sent shivers down her spine. He turned to the other figure. "Kill the old man."

Samantha gasped and stepped into the open door frame, knowing she couldn't just sit back. Pulling her hand back, she let the can of cream corn fly into the darkened shop and smiled as it hit the brute in the back of his head. Her smile faded quickly as the can bounced off as if she had thrown it against a wall. "Uh oh." She muttered to herself. The red light from the exit sign above the door illuminated the man's features as he turned toward her. His forehead jutted out over his eyes, and his chin came to a drastic point. He looked like some mutated ape. He pulled the hood back from his face and crossed the destroyed shop in two strides. Samantha continued her assault with her cans but he flicked them away like flies. His hand struck out and snatched her throat, crushing her wind pipe. Choking, she was lifted into the air, her hair grazing the popcorn ceiling above her. Her legs kicked hard, but made no difference. The ape lifted her higher before slamming her back against the display case of jewelry. She screamed as the glass tore at her face and she rolled onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Crying in pain, Samantha shifted and crawled toward the wall, pressing her back against it with the register blocking her view of the others. From the back, Mr. Anton was dragged out and shoved to the floor. He didn't cry out or beg. From the floor, she watched as her landlord stood on wobbling, aged legs, using a withered cane to help support his weight. He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin in defiance to the thugs. Samantha wanted to scream at him, tell him to give them whatever they wanted, but he was too proud. "Give us the stones."

"I'd rather die." His words were sure and brave, but Samantha was terrified. She shook her head as the old man glanced down at her on the floor. He smiled softly and reassuringly as the brute pulled a long dagger from his robes. "So be it." He growled before plunging the blade into the shop keeper's chest. Mr. Anton crumpled to the floor silently beside her as the ape who has pulled him out of his home held out a black, velvet bag. "I found him with these. He was trying to hide them."

The one who had thrown her grinned, the red exit light turning his face into something nightmares were made of. He held the bag in his palm and smiled, exposing black, jagged teeth. They weren't rotten, just completely inhuman. At his side, the one who has been commanded to search the shop pulled his hood back, revealing a dark face. A shimmer started at the tip of his nose, lighting the entire room and spread over his face like a sparkling veil, revealing another face entirely. Sam recognized the pale features, the jaw line and piercing green eyes. It was the man who was responsible for her life turning to shit. Loki plucked the bag from the brute's hand and shook it slightly, gauging the weight of its contents. He grinned and looked back at the dumbfounded thieves. "Thank you, boys. You've made my job infinitely easier."

With a roar, the man with black teeth twirled the dagger in his hands and lunged at the god. Loki retaliated, spinning and slashed his own blade across the brute's back. Samantha pushed off the wall and grabbed Mr. Anton from under his arms. She pulled, despite the pain that exploded in her ribs. She slid the man behind the register and rolled him on his side. Blood bubbled from his mouth, but he was still breathing. She felt for a pulse on his neck; it was faint, but there. "Hold on, please. I should have gone for help. I was so stupid." Tears burned her eyes and she glanced around for anything to cover the gaping wound in his chest. Mr. Anton patted her hand, smearing warm blood across her knuckles. "I never had children." His words were hoarse and Samantha had to lean toward him to hear over the noise beyond them. From the shop, the fighting continued and she tried not to scream as the counter trembled as something heavy fell against it.

Mr. Anton reached a shaking hand up toward her, grazing her cheek with his fingers. "But, if I had. I would have wanted them to be as good as you are." He coughed as Loki plunged his blade into one of the figure's back. It howled in pain and sent the god stumbling with a smack of its arm. Samantha ducked from the pens and paperclips that rained down on them from the counter. Mr. Anton pressed his hand into hers before taking a deep, quivering breath. "Keep it safe. The task is yours now." His chest shuddered with his last breath before the light in his eyes faded into nothing.

Samantha looked down at her hand he had clutched and uncurled her fingers, revealing a black stone key with a braided, leather cord that was tied and long enough to slip over her head. The end was jagged and an odd symbol was carved into the handle. She clamped her hand shut and stayed still as silence surrounded her. Struggling to her knees, she raised herself enough to see out over the counter and stared at the scene. The shop was destroyed and one of the figures lay dead in a pool of thick, putrid blood. Loki's footsteps echoed as he stepped closer to her and let his gaze flicker across her face. Samantha narrowed her eyes, her entire body trembling from fear and anger. She kept the key hidden behind the counter. "No hard feelings." He said, as if she had just broken a nail instead of watching someone die before her very eyes.

At the sound of police sirens, he turned, letting the red light bathe over him. She wanted to scream at him, to beat him mercilessly with the cash register or anything heavy and blunt. But, before she could even stand, he left without a backwards glance. Shaking violently and covered in blood, Samantha struggled to her feet. Her side was cut, the fabric of her favorite peacoat shredded from the glass. She gasped in pain, slipping the key and cord over her head quickly before the edges of her vision turned black and fuzzy. The room lit up with blue and red flashing lights but she couldn't see the police cars. She stared at the floor beneath her as the world tipped on its side and she fainted.

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Samantha hissed in pain as she pressed the fresh bandage to the cut at her sides. It was at such an odd angle that she had trouble securing the top corner of the tape, cursing as it snagged on her shirt. She sighed and let her arms drop to her sides, her muscles burning from the struggle.

Giving up, she put her gauze and tape back into the drawer of her sink and stared at her reflection. Her forehead was bruised and several tiny cuts graced her face and throat. She had fractured her middle finger, adding even more pain when she had to redo her bandages. Her hair was wet from the first shower she had taken since the robbery. It fell in dark, wet waves past her shoulders, curling at the ends. She looked away from her naked reflection and did her best to slip as easily into a tank top as she could.

She swept the tape shavings into her hands and dropped it into the trash bin behind her as the buzzer went off at her door. Leaning around the wall that separated the bathroom from the rest of the room, Samantha stared with anxiety. She hadn't been expecting anyone and none of her family were the type to just pop in for a visit. The door buzzed again and she reluctantly moved across the apartment, peering through the peep hole to see a Fed Ex delivery man standing in the drizzling rain. She cursed under her breath and twisted the deadbolt she had installed earlier that morning, pulling the door open to a crack. "Uh, Package for Ms. Madison?" She kept her body blocked behind the door.

"That's me...but, I didn't order anything." She had forbidden herself to even go to Amazon until she could pay last month's rent. Her heart ached at the thought of her deceased landlord. The young man at the door cleared his throat nervously and thrust a brown paper wrapped box into her hands. She signed her signature messily and closed the door as the man muttered 'have a nice day'. There was no return address and her anxiety intensified. She shouldn't have taken it. She should just send it back to the post office...But instead, her curious fingers curled around the paper and she ripped it. it was a metal lock-box, that had clearly seen better days. The handle was broken off one side and the corners looked like they had been kicked and dented. But, what caught her eye was the lock. It was shimmery black and stone with a symbol carved above the hole, matching the one on the key Mr. Anton had given her. She glanced down at the key around her neck and stared wide eyed as it began to tremble on the cord.

She licked her dry lips and sat down on the faded blue couch she had snagged at a thrift shop in August. The springs creaked under her, but she ignored them. Pulling the key from her head, she curled her fingers around it and gasped. It was vibrating like a pulse and was like a magnet searching for its other half. Samantha didn't hesitate anymore. She slid the key into the lock and held her breath, anticipating showers of sparks, explosions, or at least a noise. Instead, the lid popped up an inch.

Breathing a sigh or relief, she opened the box on her lap and stared at its contents. An envelope sat propped against one side of the box and a smooth, stone was wrapped in velvet on the other side. The edges of the stone were clear, but the center was black with tiny pin pricks of light swirling like a galaxy. She ignored the envelope for now, reaching for the stone. At first, it was heavy, but the more she held it in her palm the lighter it got until it was like she was holding air. Pursing her lips, she realized that this must have been what Loki and the others had been searching for. A frightening thought occurred to he as she wondered if they knew they had been given an impostor stone; they would be back for her.

Before she could put the stone back into the box, the edges faded away and it began to melt into the skin of her palm. Screaming, Samantha leapt to her feet and clawed desperately at her hand, but it was no use. She felt it slip into her veins like liquid from an IV, spreading down her wrist. Terrified, she held her arm away from her and gasped in deep breaths. Her arm instantly felt heavier and she lowered herself to the floor on shaking legs. Every inch the black liquid swam inside her made her feel as if concrete was replacing her blood.

She lay on the floor of her apartment as it reached into her heart, letting the muscle carry it quickly through her body. Her apartment faded around her and she was floating, lighter than air through darkness. In the distance, she could see a faint light, flickering like a tiny candle in a cave. It called to her and she wanted touch it. She couldn't move.

Somewhere in her mind, she could hear the sound of a lock opening and the creak of hinges. It was familiar, like a door she had opened a thousand times...her front door. She gasped as the darkness dropped from around her like a curtain and she blinked to see her apartment stretching out around her. The front door _was_ opened and a swirl of leaves blew in across the hardwood floor. Groaning, she rolled onto her knees, careful not to reopen the wound on her side. Struggling to reach the door, she put her hand out and grasped the door knob and she slammed it shut. As she did so, she caught sight of something she was not used to seeing. Across her right wrist was a black, curling tattoo that she had not had before.

It was a design she had never seen before; a tree with roots that found home deep inside her skin and leaves that stretched up her hand. She stared in disbelief. The stone must have created it when it melted into her. Before she could rise to her feet, a long, elegant hand reached out from the darkness and snatched her wrist. Samantha stared with wide eyes up at the man who she _really_ did not want to see. Loki stared with narrowed eyes and pursed lips down at the design on her wrist and sighed gravely. "Well, this will be a problem."

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AN- Thank you for reading. I know it was a bit long but I'm planning for this to be a novel length story. I have several chapters already written and am planning to do an update every week, maybe on Monday nights. Let me know how it is and I can make adjustments accordingly! Thanks again!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Loki's hand was still around her wrist and her middle finger ached from the pressure his grip was creating. With her side injured, she struggled to free herself and failed miserably. "Let go of me." She pulled hard this time and he unclasped his hand, letting her fall back to the floor with a thud. She was very aware that she was only in a pair of sweat pants and a thin tank top, but he wasn't interested in her.

"I have to hand it to the old man, it takes someone very clever to fool me." Loki stepped around her table and plucked the box up from the table, pulling the envelope out of its haven. He tossed the box carelessly to the floor where it thudded and rolled along her hard wood floors. Samantha crawled on her hands and knees until she was beside the couch, cowering in the corner like a child. She hated that he could instill this kind of fear into her, but he had taken so much from her already. Loki ripped the letter from the envelope, read over it and scoffed. "Well, I suppose you should have read this first. But, I can tell you're not a very intelligent being."

"Excuse me?"

"But, no worries. I will use you, despite the damper you've put on my plans." He crossed the room, his boots echoing heavily on the floor. She backed into the wall as much as she could and struck out with her good hand as he tried to grab her. He seized her arms and pulled her to her feet with little effort. She felt her feet leave the floor as he lifted her and planted her on the couch cushion. He studied the tattoo on her wrist with an annoyed expression written across his face before he flickered his gaze up at her. Samantha swallowed and jerked her hand free. "You're not using me for anything."

His lips spread in a cruel smile. "I could cut your wrist off and dig the stone out of you myself. But, I thought I was being a generous god."

"You're not my god." She spat, pulling her hand close to her body. Her head swam as she tried to think of an escape route.

"I will be." He promised, pulling a device from under his chest armor. It was circular, and looked like a shallow bowl with a flat bottom. He turned it over in his hands and it flared to life. He dropped it to the ground, where the edges unfolded into a blue, glowing half circle. Loki stepped into the circle and held his hand out toward Samantha. She stared at him like he was...well, crazy. There was no way she would be helping him in whatever he was planning. But, she didn't doubt him when he threatened to slice her arm off. As she hesitated, his eyes narrowed darkly. Gulping, she pushed herself up on her trembling legs and glanced around her apartment. It was quiet, despite the pounding of her heart and she realized this could very well be the last time she would ever see it again.

The feeling in her chest was painful but before she could mourn the possible loss of her life, Loki pulled her roughly against him, her chest colliding with his as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He didn't look down at her and his grip was hard, pulling at the bandage on her waist. She hissed in pain but had no time to pull free. The disc beneath them flared and enveloped them in a blinding, white light. Samantha screamed as it engulfed her and drowned out everything but the god at her side. Her body felt as if it had been stretched pencil thin, pulled through a keyhole and deposited violently on the other side of the door. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and clung to the man, despite the disgust that churned inside her.

The light vanished from around her and she felt her feet touch solid ground, her legs shaking uneasily in her sweat pants. Loki pulled his arm free and left her wobbling, not giving a backwards glance as the girl stumbled to her knees in the sudden darkness. "I think I'm going to be sick." No sooner had the words left her mouth, Samantha's stomach pitched and she vomit. Above her, Loki regarded her in annoyance before hooking his arm under hers and lifting her to her feet.

"You mortals truly are weak creatures."

"Shut up." Samantha mumbled, jerking her arms away from him. "I have motion sickness. I can't even ride in a car for very long." She wiped her mouth with the back of her tattooed hand and thought she could see the black, inky lines in the darkness. She lowered it to her side, not wanting to see it. The sight of the strange design made her nauseous all over again. Regaining her balance, Samantha leaned against the side of whatever dank, wet cave they had been sent to. The air smelled stale and she wrinkled her nose as it assaulted her senses. She could faintly hear water dripping in the distance. "Where are we?"

"Quiet." He commanded and Samantha pressed her lips together tightly. She could barely see him as he lit an object in his hands. It gave off a soft yellow glow only illuminating a few feet around them. His face seemed more harsh in this light and watching him move through the darkness gave her chills. As she watched him step through the cave, he turned and sighed heavily. "Come." He whispered harshly, making the girl blink in disbelief.

"Don't bark orders at me like I'm a dog. You've given me no reason to help you. In fact, I shouldn't be here at all. I can't stand you. I've lost things important to me because of-" Loki turned and glared at her, making the words stick to the back of her throat. She stumbled back in surprise as he closed the distance between them and pressed a hand to her mouth His lips were pulled back in a snarl and he stared down at her with those terrifying eyes.

"If you utter another word, I will kill you where you stand and leave your body here to rot for all eternity. Now, silence." His hand slipped from her mouth as she nodded. They crept onward in the dark, no other sound besides their breathing. Samantha felt cold hands of fear grip her spine. She wanted to cry, to beg him to take her home, with or without her arm. It was too much and she couldn't help the whimper that slipped from her mouth.

Loki didn't respond to her pathetic sniveling as they made a wide circle in the cave. The narrow passage opened and Loki stood to his full height, extinguishing the light source in his hand. Samantha stumbled forward, her toes catching on the rocks as she was plunged into the black. An arm shot out and pulled her against the wall and she pressed hard against the god's warmth. His eyes were set over her head, an unreadable look written in his eyes. Samantha turned and stared out at the cavernous room they had crept in to. Inches away from her bare toes, the floor gave way and dropped down into an enormous cave. Icy stalactites hung from the ceiling like fangs and a thick mist swirled beneath them, stretching endlessly downward. She wanted to scream.

Instead, Loki grasped her by the arm, turned her wrist over and slid his thumb over the design on her skin. She shivered, goose bumps littering her exposed skin. She looked from her wrist to him. "Is it supposed to do something?" She whispered, her breath coming out in quick, little white puffs.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "I'm not sure."

"What?" Forgetting they were in a foreign cave with possible monsters who would love to devour them, she snapped. The word echoed off the walls and Loki winced at her. She ducked her head sheepishly. "Sorry. I forgot. I just don't understand what it is I'm supposed to be-" A sensation in her chest flooded through her suddenly, silencing her words and she felt her back arch into the feeling. Heat and light spread through her veins and filled her with an intense glow that left her high to its power and pushed all of her thoughts out of her mind. She felt drunk, as if a heavy fog had settled into her head and left her weightless. Her head lowered and she glanced down, watching her body lift from the rocky floor and the precipice where Loki stood fell away. There was nothing but light surrounding her, coursing through every vein in her body, pushing all thoughts out of her head except one.

She could see another stone clearly in her mind. It wasn't far, resting a hundred feet beneath her toes. Her body pulsed as she turned her gaze downward. Foggy tendrils swirled around her bare toes, lapping at her feet with invisible fingers. She ignored the feeling. The stone was waiting in the mists and she needed it. Her arm raised on its own and a light poured from her hands, like she was spilling a bowl of liquid sunshine. It ripped through the mist and stayed, pulsing in the air like a beacon. Loki grinned from behind her. He reached out and pulled her ankle, moving her back over the rock and bringing her down to the jagged ground as if she were as light as a balloon. Samantha felt dizzy and yet, amazing. The cave danced in a vibrant, radiant light and even Loki looked different. She stared at him in surprise, turning her injured had to touch his cheek. His skin felt like silk beneath her hand and she sighed, her lips parting in awe. "Don't move." He backed away from her and stepped over the edge of the cliff side, disappearing without a sound into the mists.

Samantha lowered herself on all fours and crawled to the edge, watching the rainbow colors dance and sparkle around her with wonder. She reached down, her chest pressing into the rock beneath her, wishing she could fly through the ocean of colors. Too distracted by the surging power in her veins, Samantha was clueless to the eyes that studied her. She looked a fool, rolling around the edge of a cliff, laughing as rocks chipped away and fell into the darkness beneath her. But in her eyes, it was completely different.

From behind her, Loki shook his head. He knew sending in a illusions to distract the daemons would give him a better chance to retrieve the stones and get out safely. He watched the girl laugh and paw at invisible butterflies in the air. Before she could roll herself to her death, he pulled at the waist of her black pants sliding her across the muck. He moved her with ease but couldn't help flickering his eyes over the word 'Pink' written across her buttocks. 'Mortals.' He thought with a roll of his eyes. Samantha rolled over on her back and stared up at him with shock. "Loki!" She shouted, spreading her arms as if she wanted a hug.

The god pinched the bridge of his nose and wished he had just killed her after all. Red eyes blinked in the mist and the prince swore under his breath. He pulled his dagger out and stepped around the girl on the ground. "Aw." She pouted as he ignored her request and dropped her arms onto her chest. The daemons descended from the walls in infinite numbers, crawling into the dim light. Their faces were twisted, snarling with jet skin and red cracks that glowed like fire. Loki pursed his lips as the first one attacked. He sent it into the mist with ease. He spun and kicked out at one who was racing across the cave wall toward the girl on the floor.

Samantha was beginning to come down from her high. The golden light that raced through her retreated back into its hiding place and she stared up at the tunnel, confused. She lifted her head and turned back to stare at the fight behind her. Loki slashed his dagger and sent three more daemons into the abyss as one of them crawled faster toward her. Samantha rolled onto her front and hurried to her feet. She wanted to cry for Loki to save her, but he was busy pulling at two more creatures that came from beneath him. The daemon snarled at her and crawled with speed she couldn't fathom. Lifting her foot, Samantha kicked out and her heel smashed into its face. It wasn't even fazed by the assault and reached out with black claws.

The daemon screamed and Samantha sucked in a breath as Loki plunged his dagger into its back. "Come. We have to leave." They looked back at the walls, completely alive with crawling, screeching creatures "Now."

He gripped her by the hand and hurried through the tunnels they had arrived through. Samantha glanced over her shoulder with every other step, unable to keep her eyes off of the mass of writing, glowing bodies. "Did you get the stone?" she asked breathlessly as they found their blue sphere and stepped onto it. Loki nodded as he pulled her onto the disc. The light flared around them and Samantha squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see the cracked faces of the daemons, nor did she want to face the portal that she was thrust in to. As the daemons descended on them, they were shot backwards by the blinding light that filled the tunnel and Samantha screamed. For the second time, she was pulled through space.

Loki's grip wasn't as tight this time, but still dug into the cut at her side. She clung to him as wind ripped around her. They landed a second later and she tripped, falling to her knees on grass. She stared at it below her and smiled, tugging at the earth. She wanted to bury her face in it and breathe in the familiar terrain. Instead, her stomach rolled and she puked the empty contents onto the grass. "Just when I thought I was getting the hang of it." She pushed off the ground and dusted the mud and pebbles from her front.

Looking around, she could see an endless wave of rolling hills and tall grass that rippled in the wind. The breeze was warm, a nice contrast to the horrible cave they had inhabited moments ago. Spinning, Samantha found Loki behind her, staring at the stone in his hand. "Alright, you got what you wanted. Can I go home now?"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"What?"

He turned his gaze to her, the corners of his lips twisting in that infamous smirk. The red stone glowed between his fingers as he held it up to her. "This is just one of the nine stones of Yggdrasil and until I find them all, there will be no going back for you, girl." She stared in disbelief. He couldn't use her like that.

Fuming, Samantha threw her hands up and turned on her bare heel. She didn't know where she was going, but she would walk until she could find a road, a person, a car, anything to get her away from him. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere. This is ridiculous." She called from over her shoulder, knowing he wouldn't allow it. She spun as he followed after her and wagged a finger in his face. "You need to learn some manners! First of all, my name isn't mortal or girl. It's Sam. Second, stop jerking me this way and that. If I'm going to do this for you, then you will treat me with respect."

Loki tossed his head back and laughed, clasping his hands behind his back as he circled her. She stared with narrowed eyes as he regarded her with a curious stare. "You demand of me? A mortal demands a god for respect."

"You can laugh all you want, but know this. You are the direct cause for a lot of headaches in my life and just when I think I'm done with dealing with your messes, here you are again." She was aware he had no idea what she was talking about, but she didn't care. "If we're going to be doing this little..." She waved her hands in the air searching for the right word. "Little quest then let's set some ground rules. One: Treat me with respect, or I won't show you the way. I am very aware of where and who I am when the stone overtakes me. I can very easily not point you in the right direction." She lied, hoping he wouldn't call her bluff.

"Yes, but I could kill you and wield the power myself."

Damn. She hadn't considered that. She thought quickly, recalling the high she felt under the stone's power, how everything was amazing and hilarious and beautiful. "Alright. But, when you're tripping balls after you absorb the power, lets see how far you get in this little quest." Loki circled around her and squared his shoulders. It pleased her to no end as she noticed the clench of his jaw.

"I'm no mere mortal. I possess strengths you do not."

"But, is that a risk you're willing to take? You get shown the next stone one second and the next you're rolling in the dirt, laughing like a little girl while daemons and other nasties stare at you?" The mental picture she produced made her smile, but she pushed it down to keep her tough facade. She lifted her chin in defiance.

"Fine. I think we can strike up an agreement...Sam." He sneered at her name, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Nodding, the girl crossed her arms over her chest and felt proud of herself...and a tightening in her bladder. "Good. Now, where can I pee?"

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AN- Hey! Thanks for all the feedback so far! I know this chapter felt rushed but it had to be to set up future chapters. So apologies for that!


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